Tampa Bay Lightning open season in Boston on October 3

Vincent Lecavalier returns to Tampa on November 27

Tampa - The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced their 82-game regular season schedule for the 2013-14 season today.

The season will lead up to the 10-year anniversary of the franchise's first and only Stanley Cup Championship, which Tampa Bay captured on June 7, 2004.

Different this season will be a new division alignment and schedule format as the league goes to four-divisions instead of six.

Under the new system, all 29 other NHL teams will visit the Tampa Bay Times Forum in 2013-14.

The Lightning's new division, named the Atlantic Division, includes four "Original Six" teams, including the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Lea fs.

Also included are the Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators. Tampa Bay will play each divisional opponent four times, two at home and two on the road, with the exception of Ottawa (3 home, 2 away) and Detroit (2 home, 3 away) which the Bolts will play five times.

The Lightning will play each of their non-division opponents within the Eastern Conference three times.

Of the eight non-divisional opponents, the Bolts will play the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders at the Times Forum on two occasions.

The remaining four teams, the New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets, they will play once at home.

Also new to league scheduling this season, Tampa Bay will play two games, one at home and one on the road, against each Western Conference team.

That includes the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, who will visit the Times Forum on October 24.

Fans can catch all the action by becoming a Lightning Season Ticket Member for as little as just $18 per game. Promenade and Club Level Season Ticket Members also receive the revolutionary Blue Chip Rewards STM jersey, which they can use for concession and retail discounts. For more information call 813.301.6600. Half season and 10-game plans are expected to be made available for purchase as early as next week. Single game tickets will go on sale at a later date.

At the Tampa Bay Times Forum

The Lightning will make their home debut at the Times Forum on Thursday, October 10 against their intra-state rival, the Panthers.

That game will kick off a seven-game home-stand, the longest string of the season, and includes the Stanley Cup Champion from each of the previous five seasons, in the Chicago Blackhawks (2013, 2010), Pittsburgh (2009), Los Angeles Kings (2012) and Boston Bruins (2011). In all, the home stand will span more than two weeks.

The Bolts will also finish the season with 14 of their final 20 games at the Times Forum. The stretch also consists of a pair of six-game home-stands, tied for the second-longest of the season. Tampa Bay will host new division opponent Detroit, also new to the Eastern Conference, on December 12 and February 8.

On the Road

The Bolts will open the season with a three-game road trip that will head through the two cities that hosted the Stanley Cup Final in 2013, opening in Boston on October 3 and then playing in Chicago on October 5.

That season-opening trip then concludes in Buffalo on October 8.

Tampa Bay will not have a road trip longer than four games in 2013-14.

There are four four-game trips scheduled, including one to Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Jose and Anaheim (November 16-22), as well as another to Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg (January 1-7).

The Lightning will also have six three-game trips, one with two games and five trips to play just one game.

Back-to-Back

The Lightning will play 12 sets of back-to- back games in 2013-14, including two in which with both games at the Tampa Bay Times Forum (December 28 vs. Montreal/December 29 vs. NY Rangers, April 10 vs. Philadelphia/April 11 vs. Columbus).

Tampa Bay will play three sets of back-to-back games with one at home and the other on the road.

Of those three contests, two of the will be played with the home game on the front end. The Lightning will play seven pairs of games on consecutive nights on the road, including three sets during the month of March.

Olympic Break

The League will pause from February 9-25, 2014, while NHL players comprise the majority of the rosters of the national teams competing in Sochi for Olympic gold. The NHL season resumes Wednesday, Feb. 26 with a slate of four games.

Schedule Notes

Training Camp Opens Wednesday, Sept. 11

Exhibition Games Begin Friday, Sept. 13

Regular Season Opens Tuesday, Oct. 1

Hall of Fame Game Friday, Nov. 8

Christmas Break Tuesday, Dec. 24 – Thursday, Dec. 26

Hockey

Day In Canada Saturday, Jan. 18

Olympic Break Sunday, Feb. 9 – Tuesday, Feb. 25

Hockey Day In America Sunday, March 2

Last Day of Regular Season Sunday, April 13

Stanley Cup Playoffs Begin Wednesday, April 16

Monthly Breakdown

Month Home Away Total

October 7 5 12

November 6 8 14

December 7 6 13

January 5 10 15

February 2 3 5

March 8 8 16

April 6 1 7

Breakdown by Day

Day Home Away Total

Sunday 1 7 8

Monday 4 4 8

Tuesday 3 11 14

Wednesday 1 2 3

Thursday 17 5 22

Friday 2 3 5

Saturday 13 9 22

2013-14 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING SEASON SCHEDULE

Day

Date

Opponent

Time

Day

Date

Opponent

Time

Thu.

Oct. 3

@

Boston

7:00PM

Sun.

Jan. 5

@

Edmonton

8:00PM

Sat.

Oct. 5

@

Chicago

8:00PM

Tue.

Jan. 7

@

Winnipeg

8:00PM

Tue.

Oct. 8

@

Buffalo

7:30PM

Thu.

Jan. 9

Washington

7:30PM

Thu.

Oct. 10

Florida

7:30PM

Sat.

Jan. 11

@

Philadelphia

1:00PM

Sat.

Oct. 12

Pittsburgh

7:00PM

Mon.

Jan. 13

@

Columbus

7:00PM

Tue.

Oct. 15

Los Angeles

7:30PM

Tue.

Jan. 14

@

N.Y. Rangers

7:00PM

Thu.

Oct. 17

Minnesota

7:30PM

Thu.

Jan. 16

N.Y. Islanders

7:30PM

Sat.

Oct. 19

Boston

7:00PM

Sat.

Jan. 18

San Jose

2:00PM

Thu.

Oct. 24

Chicago

7:30PM

Sun.

Jan. 19

@

Carolina

5:00PM

Sat.

Oct. 26

Buffalo

7:00PM

Thu.

Jan. 23

Ottawa

7:30PM

Sun.

Oct. 27

@

Florida

5:00PM

Sat.

Jan. 25

Colorado

7:00PM

Tue.

Oct. 29

@

New Jersey

7:30PM

Tue.

Jan. 28

@

Toronto

7:00PM

Fri.

Nov. 1

@

Carolina

7:00PM

Thu.

Jan. 30

@

Ottawa

7:30PM

Sat.

Nov. 2

St. Louis

7:00PM

Sat.

Feb. 1

@

Montreal

1:00PM

Thu.

Nov. 7

Edmonton

7:30PM

Tue.

Feb. 4

@

Minnesota

8:00PM

Sat.

Nov. 9

@

Detroit

7:00PM

Thu.

Feb. 6

Toronto

7:30PM

Mon.

Nov. 11

@

Boston

1:00PM

Sat.

Feb. 8

Detroit

7:00PM

Tue.

Nov. 12

@

Montreal

7:30PM

Thu.

Feb. 27

@

Nashville

8:00PM

Thu.

Nov. 14

Anaheim

7:30PM

Sat.

Mar. 1

@

Dallas

3:00PM

Sat.

Nov. 16

@

Phoenix

8:00PM

Sun.

Mar. 2

@

Colorado

8:00PM

Tue.

Nov. 19

@

Los Angeles

10:30PM

Tue.

Mar. 4

@

St. Louis

8:00PM

Thu.

Nov. 21

@

San Jose

10:30PM

Thu.

Mar. 6

Buffalo

7:30PM

Fri.

Nov. 22

@

Anaheim

10:00PM

Sat.

Mar. 8

Boston

7:00PM

Mon.

Nov. 25

N.Y. Rangers

7:30PM

Mon.

Mar. 10

Phoenix

7:30PM

Wed.

Nov. 27

Philadelphia

7:30PM

Thu.

Mar. 13

Florida

7:30PM

Fri.

Nov. 29

Pittsburgh

4:00PM

Sat.

Mar. 15

New Jersey

7:00PM

Tue.

Dec. 3

@

Columbus

7:00PM

Mon.

Mar. 17

Vancouver

7:30PM

Thu.

Dec. 5

Ottawa

7:30PM

Wed.

Mar. 19

@

Toronto

7:00PM

Sat.

Dec. 7

Winnipeg

7:00PM

Thu.

Mar. 20

@

Ottawa

7:30PM

Tue.

Dec. 10

@

Washington

7:00PM

Sat.

Mar. 22

@

Pittsburgh

1:00PM

Thu.

Dec. 12

Detroit

7:30PM

Mon.

Mar. 24

Ottawa

7:30PM

Sat.

Dec. 14

@

New Jersey

7:00PM

Thu.

Mar. 27

N.Y. Islanders

7:30PM

Sun.

Dec. 15

@

Detroit

5:00PM

Sat.

Mar. 29

@

Buffalo

7:00PM

Tue.

Dec. 17

@

N.Y. Islanders

7:00PM

Sun.

Mar. 30

@

Detroit

5:00PM

Thu.

Dec. 19

Nashville

7:30PM

Tue.

Apr. 1

Montreal

7:30PM

Sat.

Dec. 21

Carolina

7:00PM

Thu.

Apr. 3

Calgary

7:30PM

Mon.

Dec. 23

@

Florida

7:30PM

Sat.

Apr. 5

Dallas

7:00PM

Sat.

Dec. 28

Montreal

7:00PM

Tue.

Apr. 8

Toronto

7:30PM

Sun.

Dec. 29

N.Y. Rangers

7:00PM

Thu.

Apr. 10

Philadelphia

7:30PM

Wed.

Jan. 1

@

Vancouver

10:00PM

Fri.

Apr. 11

Columbus

7:30PM

Fri.

Jan. 3

@

Calgary

9:00PM

Sun.

Apr. 13

@

Washington

3:00PM

*All times Eastern and subject to change

2013-14 LIGHTNING HOME AND ROAD BREAKDOWN

Day

Date

Opponent

Time

Day

Date

Opponent

Time

Thu.

Oct. 10

Florida

7:30PM

Thu.

Oct. 3

@

Boston

7:00PM

Sat.

Oct. 12

Pittsburgh

7:00PM

Sat.

Oct. 5

@

Chicago

8:00PM

Tue.

Oct. 15

Los Angeles

7:30PM

Tue.

Oct. 8

@

Buffalo

7:30PM

Thu.

Oct. 17

Minnesota

7:30PM

Sun.

Oct. 27

@

Florida

5:00PM

Sat.

Oct. 19

Boston

7:00PM

Tue.

Oct. 29

@

New Jersey

7:30PM

Thu.

Oct. 24

Chicago

7:30PM

Fri.

Nov. 1

@

Carolina

7:00PM

Sat.

Oct. 26

Buffalo

7:00PM

Sat.

Nov. 9

@

Detroit

7:00PM

Sat.

Nov. 2

St. Louis

7:00PM

Mon.

Nov. 11

@

Boston

1:00PM

Thu.

Nov. 7

Edmonton

7:30PM

Tue.

Nov. 12

@

Montreal

7:30PM

Thu.

Nov. 14

Anaheim

7:30PM

Sat.

Nov. 16

@

Phoenix

8:00PM

Mon.

Nov. 25

N.Y. Rangers

7:30PM

Tue.

Nov. 19

@

Los Angeles

10:30PM

Wed.

Nov. 27

Philadelphia

7:30PM

Thu.

Nov. 21

@

San Jose

10:30PM

Fri.

Nov. 29

Pittsburgh

4:00PM

Fri.

Nov. 22

@

Anaheim

10:00PM

Thu.

Dec. 5

Ottawa

7:30PM

Tue.

Dec. 3

@

Columbus

7:00PM

Sat.

Dec. 7

Winnipeg

7:00PM

Tue.

Dec. 10

@

Washington

7:00PM

Thu.

Dec. 12

Detroit

7:30PM

Sat.

Dec. 14

@

New Jersey

7:00PM

Thu.

Dec. 19

Nashville

7:30PM

Sun.

Dec. 15

@

Detroit

5:00PM

Sat.

Dec. 21

Carolina

7:00PM

Tue.

Dec. 17

@

N.Y. Islanders

7:00PM

Sat.

Dec. 28

Montreal

7:00PM

Mon.

Dec. 23

@

Florida

7:30PM

Sun.

Dec. 29

N.Y. Rangers

7:00PM

Wed.

Jan. 1

@

Vancouver

10:00PM

Thu.

Jan. 9

Washington

7:30PM

Fri.

Jan. 3

@

Calgary

9:00PM

Thu.

Jan. 16

N.Y. Islanders

7:30PM

Sun.

Jan. 5

@

Edmonton

8:00PM

Sat.

Jan. 18

San Jose

2:00PM

Tue.

Jan. 7

@

Winnipeg

8:00PM

Thu.

Jan. 23

Ottawa

7:30PM

Sat.

Jan. 11

@

Philadelphia

1:00PM

Sat.

Jan. 25

Colorado

7:00PM

Mon.

Jan. 13

@

Columbus

7:00PM

Thu.

Feb. 6

Toronto

7:30PM

Tue.

Jan. 14

@

N.Y. Rangers

7:00PM

Sat.

Feb. 8

Detroit

7:00PM

Sun.

Jan. 19

@

Carolina

5:00PM

Thu.

Mar. 6

Buffalo

7:30PM

Tue.

Jan. 28

@

Toronto

7:00PM

Sat.

Mar. 8

Boston

7:00PM

Thu.

Jan. 30

@

Ottawa

7:30PM

Mon.

Mar. 10

Phoenix

7:30PM

Sat.

Feb. 1

@

Montreal

1:00PM

Thu.

Mar. 13

Florida

7:30PM

Tue.

Feb. 4

@

Minnesota

8:00PM

Sat.

Mar. 15

New Jersey

7:00PM

Thu.

Feb. 27

@

Nashville

8:00PM

Mon.

Mar. 17

Vancouver

7:30PM

Sat.

Mar. 1

@

Dallas

3:00PM

Mon.

Mar. 24

Ottawa

7:30PM

Sun.

Mar. 2

@

Colorado

8:00PM

Thu.

Mar. 27

N.Y. Islanders

7:30PM

Tue.

Mar. 4

@

St. Louis

8:00PM

Tue.

Apr. 1

Montreal

7:30PM

Wed.

Mar. 19

@

Toronto

7:00PM

Thu.

Apr. 3

Calgary

7:30PM

Thu.

Mar. 20

@

Ottawa

7:30PM

Sat.

Apr. 5

Dallas

7:00PM

Sat.

Mar. 22

@

Pittsburgh

1:00PM

Tue.

Apr. 8

Toronto

7:30PM

Sat.

Mar. 29

@

Buffalo

7:00PM

Thu.

Apr. 10

Philadelphia

7:30PM

Sun.

Mar. 30

@

Detroit

5:00PM

Fri.

Apr. 11

Columbus

7:30PM

Sun.

Apr. 13

@

Washington

3:00PM

*All times Eastern and subject to change

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